After a cold, wet bus ride from College Park to New York, we arrived yesterday at Hostel International. We took some time to settle into our rooms and get a feel for the hostel. Then a few brave souls ventured out into the monsoon to buy groceries - sustenance is a must! We put together a lovely dinner of pasta, bread, and salad, and enjoyed it in the hostel dining area.
After dinner, we gathered to watch "Precious" in the hostel's World Room. The movie spoke to many of the hardships people we work with during the week may have experienced - poverty, abuse, and lack of education on HIV/AIDS. These social issues combine to propagate the spread of HIV, a disease that can be prevented with the education and empowerment. After the movie, Amber reiterated that as an ASB team, we are not here to fix anybody's problems. We're here to interact with and learn from people who have HIV/AIDS - to participate in the exchange of ideas and experiences that can connect completely different people, and that I think forms the essence of community service learning.
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